River of Time
by Juliette Morbu
Summary: I remember as a child, listening to Ada's tale of the War of the Ring. How I longed for an adventure such as the one my Father partook of! We lived a peaceful life with a few skirmishes here and there. My brother and I were unaware that the Valar had other plans for us. Now, I am stranded in the past, lost and hopeless, wondering if I'll ever return home. Until I ran into them...
1. Chapter 1

"Aranyth!...Aranyth!" A voice echoed in my waking mind as I stirred from my sleep. "Araaaaanyth!"

"What?" I mumbled, turning over on my side, trying to ignore the pest nudging my shoulder.

"Wake up!"

"What do you want?" I growled, blindly slapped his hand away.

"There is a light in the Rath Dinen..."

"So?"

"Rath Dinen hasn't been opened since Denethor attempted to burn Uncle Faramir, Aranyth. I have a feeling something is happening..." I sat up, knowing that messing with my brother's feelings was not a smart thing to do. When my brother sensed or felt something was wrong, he was normally right. Though...why he always came to me I had no idea.

"Have you spoken to Ada?" I asked him.

"No. I cannot find him anywhere."

"Cannot find him anywhere? Have you even tried searching for him?"

"No. I do not think he should be bothered. He only just returned home..."

"What do you propose we do?" I inquired, knowing he had something up his sleeve. He quirked an elegant eyebrow, strikingly resembling Uncle Elladan, Uncle Elrohir, and Ada when doing so.

"Where has your sense of adventure gone?"

"Well, let me see..." I glanced out the window nearby. "It so happens to be two o' clock in the morning-" I was about to continue when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Brows furrowed in confusion and curiosity, I slid out of bed and walked over to the open window, peering over the edge to see Rath Dinen, the place where they buried the Kings and Stewards of old. Just as my brother had said, there was a light flickering within. "It seems you were speaking the truth, Gwador-nin. I suppose we should check it out."

*Time Skip, ten minutes*

"Where are the guards?" I asked as my brother and I quietly made our way through the halls very cautiously, as to not wake our parents or siblings and family that had come over.

"Their stations. I do not know how they have not noticed the light, but they have not." He whispered. That bewildered me as well.

"Perhaps this was planned..."

"No. Otherwise, I would have heard of it."

"Is this the first time it has happened?"

"No. This is the fourth day. The calling is growing stronger."

"Calling?" I repeated, glancing over my shoulder to face my brother as I peered around a corner to see where exactly the Guards were stationed.

"You cannot feel it?"

"No...Though I do hear something." It was true. I could hear a sound, as though someone had struck a wine glass and left it vibrating.

"Interesting..." He followed me as I quickly rounded the corner, leaping into the air, off the balcony rail, and into a nearby tree. Because we were mostly Elvin and part mortal, we were close to being lightweight, had sharp hearing, Elvin features, senses, and a bit of foresight from Grandfather, according to Ada and Nana. Though, it was mostly my brother who had foresight. We crawled from branch to branch then silently dropped to the ground, stealthily moving through the shadows to reach Rath Dinen.

"One problem, my dear Gwador-nin." I placed my hands onto my hips, gazing at the entrance of the tomb. "How do we get in?" I turned to face him when I realized he was not there. "Wha-Where did you go?" Something struck my head and I looked up to see my brother waving to me from above, the front half of his body poking out from a hole about the entrance.

"Up here, Gwethil-nin!" he whispered, knowing that I could hear him.

"How in Middle-Earth did you get up there?" I wondered under my breath. He smirked and went back inside. I looked around. There was absolutely nothing he could have climbed up from... I sighed and noticed a hole near the ground, hidden by the vines over it. "Ah, so that is how you did it." Once inside, I realized how damp and dark it was. It also felt and seemed quite dreary. I shivered just from glancing around and noticing the many places the Kings and Stewards of old had been place. Most were probably dust by now. "Now...Where did he go?" I looked around for my brother, but could find no sign of him. I began walking further into the tomb, thinking he must have gone ahead, knowing him. As I walked, the sound grew more noticeable, as well as a voice I had a hard time understanding. It was raspy and chanting in a language I did not know. As I walked further into Rath Dinen, the deep foreboding feeling I felt gradually grew within me until I knew there was danger nearby. But what could possible be threatening here?

"Sauron was defeated many years ago..." I murmured to myself as I turned yet another corner. I glanced over my shoulder when I sensed someone following, but could not see any sign of anyone. With a raised eyebrow, I shrugged and continued, halting abruptly when I heard the sound of someone behind me. I whipped around but there was no one. Straining my ears a bit more, I turned and continued on my way, wondering where the heck my brother had gone. When I was about to turn yet another corner, something shot out and grasped my tunic, tugging on it and startling me. I turned, eyes albeit wide until I noticed a small little body behind me. My eyes narrowed.

"Eldarion, son of Aragorn!" I nearly exclaimed. "What in Arda are you doing in Rath Dinen?!" Eldarion didn't reply, instead popping his two fingers, middle and pointer, into his mouth, gazing up at me with his piercing blue eyes. "How did you get in here?" I asked him. He looked up at me as if to say it were obvious. "You followed us, didn't you?" I sighed and shook my head. Eldarion was a strange but special child. He was young, being only two, and was growing as an Elfling would. Albeit slowly. Though we could tell he was quite intelligent and quick to observe. We do not know how, but Eldarion could always get himself into odd situations. One time, my brother and I were caught in a skirmish with Orcs left over from the fall of Mordor. In the middle of the battle, we spotted Eldarion just calmly walking through, studying the Orcs and watching as we killed them.

It worried us to death as we fought to come to his side yet, somehow, he managed to escape unscathed! Unlike my brother and I, who did all the fighting. I believe the child has some sort of ability...Some sort of talent. Either that, or the Gods loved the little one. "Nevermind." I shook my head at him then knelt down. "Come along then, Tithen Penneth." I grinned when Eldarion happily allowed me to pick him up and carry him. "Now...Where could he be?" I wondered aloud, searching for that irritating brother of mine. "I sure hope Nana and Ada do not find that we have left..." I murmured as I continued. Just as we were about to leave the room we were in, I heard a voice cry out.

"Aranyth!" I was immediately sprinting towards the voice with Eldarion close to me, his eyes calmly scanning his surroundings, taking everything in, two fingers still in his little mouth. I slid around yet another corner and ran through a darkened hallway. There was light up ahead and...someone was standing in the midst of it. Him.

"Gwador-nin! What is it?" I slid to a stop next to him and searched for any wounds or injuries, fearing something had happened.

"Look." he raised a hand, his finger indicating to something before us. I followed his gaze towards one of the sarcophagus' in the room. There was a light entrapped within and leaking through the cracks of the lid.

"This is the light we were seeing?" I wondered, walking over to it cautiously. "This is odd...What is in it?" I touched the top of the lid. Eldarion whimpered and buried his face into my shoulder, which made me wonder whether we should remain or take our leave. "Eldarion, remain here." I set him down and he immediately hid behind me, his head peeking round me to see the sarcophagus. For some odd reason, there was no King or Steward carving over it or their names engraved onto the lid. "Come help me open it."

"Are you certain, Arayth? Why not leave it be?"

"I need to know what it is." I responded.

"Otherwise you will not rest for days thinking upon it."

"Yes." I nodded and the two of us pushed.

"Eru! The lid is heavy!" I had to agree with that. It was!

"A little...more!" I encouraged and we shoved once again. This time, the lid flew off and shattered to pieces on the nearby wall but before we could realize what we had done, a large gust of wind blew from within the sarcophagus, and it sounded as though something were groaning along with it. We raised our arms to shield our eyes from the dust and debris that was blown from the coffin and the room. When we lowered them, we stood still, glancing at one another. Eldarion was nearly hyperventilating, eyes wide with the raw emotion of fear. I took this as a sign that something was definitely wrong and that we should leave at once. But, of course, curiosity got the better of us as we leaned forward to get a better look when something shot up from the grave, cloaked and covered in black with blood, and turned towards us, a blood-curdling shriek piercing the silence that hung o'er us. Of course, the natural reaction for us was to scream, yell, and cry. I screamed, my brother yelped, and Eldarion cried out when it lunged towards us.

"Noro! Noro Lim!" (Run!) my brother cried as I snatched Eldarion up and bolted from the room.

"Gwaem!" (let's go) I called back to my brother, grasping his wrist as we ran as fast as we could with the creature floating behind us. It shrieked and flew faster, nearly catching us as we ducked around a corner.

"This way!" We continued to flee from the creature through the labyrinth and finally found the secret entrance by accident. The creature came closer as I attempted to open it whilst holding Eldarion. "Move!" I did and my brother gave it a try, barreling into the wall twice but to no avail. "Together!" We did and the hidden door flung open, causing us to fly through and collapse into a heap on the other side whilst the door spun. I turned and saw the creature coming.

"Shut the door!" I cried, rushing over to get it shut, but when I reached out, my hand caught on the handle and it flung me onto the other side with the creature, which was now crawling towards me. And it was crawling quite fast! I screamed- at least, I think it was my scream but it might have been Eldarion's.

"Aranyth!" I felt something yank on the back of my shirt and my brother wrapped his arms around me as we fell back and the door spun closed. My brother grunted as his back collided into the ground with me on top of him. Eldarion threw himself at me as I sat up and nearly cried-for he was a bit too shocked to cry-, burying his head in the crook of my neck as he wrapped his little arms tightly and securely around me. We instantly stood and began to run away from the area. The further we got from the creep, the better.

"Aranyth! Eldarion! Estel!" Nana came rushing round the corner with Ada, Uncle Faramir, Dan and Ro. I rushed over to Ada, who enveloped us in a protective embrace as Nana took hold of Estel, who had a cut on his shoulder that was bleeding.

"What happened?" Ada demanded to know, gazing down at the trembling Eldarion in my arms and my pale complexion.

"It was after us!" Estel began, gazing at the wall.

"It?" Nana, Faramir, Dan and Ro repeated.

"What was?" Ada's voice grew a little threatening as his hand subconsciously reached for his blade.

"I do not know what it was, Ada..." I murmured. "I have never seen anything like it before..." Eldarion crawled into his Ada's arms while Estel and I went over to the nearby window and looked through it.

"What did it look like?" Faramir asked, searching round for any threat. Estel and I glanced at one another, wondering if we should tell them. But if we did...

"It must have been a thief." Estel muttered, glancing at him wounded shoulder.

"Yes...Just a thief." I agreed.

Aragorn narrowed his eyes and I swallowed. He knew we were hiding something from him.

"Goodnight, Ada, Nana, Uncle Faramir, Uncle Dan and Ro." I bid them goodnight and hastily walked away with Estel after me. Eldarion made a sound and we turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. He reached out to me, making another sound.

"I believe Eldarion would like to remain with you tonight, Aranyth." Ada told me with a slight smile.

"Very well, tithen gwador." I grinned and took Eldarion with me then headed towards our rooms.

* * *

Once his children passed from sight, Aragorn turned to Arwen, who had the same thoughts as he.

"They are hiding something from us." she told him.

"I know. I noticed their clothing as well. They ventured away from the palace which would explain why Elrudan was unable to find them."

"Where could they have gone?" Faramir asked.

"I do not know, but they managed to sneak past the guards..." Aragorn had a feeling something had caught his children's attention but decided not to press them to tell him. "Whatever it is, they will come to us in time."

As he bid his fellow friends and wife a wonderful rest of the night and took his leave to attend to some paperwork, an ill feeling overcame him. He halted in his tracks, fearing that something was amiss... He shook his head. Everything was well. The War of the Ring was over. He sat at his desk and began to sign the papers left to him by Faramir.

* * *

_He was breathing heavily as he pushed himself to run faster. Aragorn sprinted through the woods, willing his feet to quicken their speed. __He cried out, hoping in vain that he would find them safe and sound at their camp. To see that they were unharmed, waiting for him.__ He began to run towards the sounds of battle. The Lord cringed when a sound pierced the atmosphere that hung o'er them. He felt his heart forget to beat as he identified the sound as Aranyth's scream. A cry of fear and pain. _

_Time skipped to where he now stood at the edge of a battlefield to find his child facing a Nazgul. He watched helplessly as his eldest son fight valiantly, head held high despite the wounds inflicted upon him. Aranyth was also fighting for her life, holding Eldarion in her arms._

_Suddenly, Aragorn saw Estel freeze then collapse to the ground, murmuring something he could not hear, a Morgul Blade through his heart. Aranyth cried and screamed, fighting to reach her brother when two Nazful flanked her. Aragorn stood, horrified as Aranyth dropped to the ground, enveloping Eldarion in a protective embrace, her eyes locked on his as the Nazguls brought down their fiery blades. _

_The sound of metal striking flesh rang through his ears as Aranyth's body fell to the ground, her once flaming eyes now dull and lifeless, staring into his...  
_

* * *

**Hey, readers! I sure hope you enjoyed reading this! This is my first LOTR fanfic and I had a bunch of fun writing it! I am an absolute fan of Tolkien's work and as you already know, it is about Aranyth, Estel's twin, the son and daughter of Aragorn and Arwen. (I made the two up but Eldarion is truly Aragorn and Arwen's son according to Tolkien). I will do my best with publishing every few days or weekly and since I just got out of school, meaning I should have no problem in doing so. If any of you have anything to tell me, please do so! I would really enjoy it if you would give me a few pointers or tell me what I could work on so I can better my writing. If you have any questions, I would love to answer them! Until next time! **  
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	2. Friends and Training

Aragorn shot up, nearly knocking his chair back and stumbled, falling against whoever was standing behind him.

"Mellon-nin! Is everything alright?" the familiar voice inquired as his friend helped him balance. The King, still breathing hard, nodded and slumped forward, gripping the edge of his desk as he slowed his heart beat.

"Everything is well, mellon. Just a nightmare." he replied, standing and turning to face the person behind him, blinking a few times before a wide smile graced his lips. "Legolas!" His friend was pulled into a strong embrace. The Wood-Elf laughed a bit, patting his friend's back before they pulled away.

"I have only been away a month and already you miss me!"

"A month too long, my friend." Aragorn remarked. "The children will be pleased to see you."

"The children. Speaking of which, I heard something had happened earlier. Were one of them injured?" the Elf asked, concerned blue eyes gazing at the Dunedain. Aragorn shook his head, relieving the Wood Elf.

"Nay. Ah, Estel was but he has been taken care of. He had a peculier wound inflicted upon his shoulder..."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. I believe something had managed to claw him, but it could not have been a cat, dog, or any other animal within Gondor and the children have never been outside of Minas Tirith without a few Guards or their Guardians. Though...I know the two- three(Though I believe Eldarion followed them), of them were outside the palace after supper. All I know is that I was in a meeting with Faramir when we heard Eldarion's cry. Fearing there was an intruder, we hastened over to the Eastern Wing to find the three there. They were frightened, you could see the fear in their eyes..." Aragorn hated the look in their eyes. It did not suit them. It did not suit anyone. "Whatever it was they saw...The children would not speak of it and left for bed. I only hope they approach us soon. I fear to think of what may happen should they not."

"Your children are wise for their age, Estel. They will come to you." Legolas assured the man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I only hope it is soon. Before it is too late. They seem to have aced that habit."

"Inherited from you, no doubt." Legolas said.

"I deny it!" Aragorn objected, glaring at his friend.

"Do you now?" Legolas raised an elegant eyebrow. "I seem to remember a young boy and man who seemed to find danger everywhere he went and would never once return home unscathed or unharmed in any way! All because he would never approach his Father, siblings or friends about anything! There were many times we feared we would lose you, Estel."

"Trouble seemed to find me? My friend, you are one to talk." Aragorn pointed out. Legolas only grinned. "You still seem to find trouble no matter where you are."

"Is that so? I have gotten into more trouble travelling with you than I have throughout the two thousand years I have been alive! Come along now. You need rest."

"The papers-"

"Can wait until later. You are tired, Aragorn. You have overexerted yourself yet again."

"I happen to have children to raise, a kingdom to run, and a certain Elf friend who insists on pestering me every now and then-"

"I resent that!" Aragorn swiftly ducked as the Elf attempted to hit him. He stood and stifled a yawn as he glanced out the window.

"Dawn already?"

"What is it?" Legolas asked when he noticed Aragorn sigh and shake his head.

"I do not think I will be able to get any rest, my friend."

"For what reason?"

"The children- especially Eldarion and the little one will be awake. I also promised Aranyth and Estel that I would train with them this morning." Legolas shook his head. He should have known.

"What if I were to train them?" he innocently inquired.

* * *

"It is official, Estel...You are better with a bow and arrow whilst I am better with the sword." I grinned down at my brother who now lay on the ground, blinking at the cloudy sky, recovering from a hit to the head.

"You are even better with hand-to-hand combat than with weapons." He groaned. "Next time...Try not to hit me as hard." The smile vanished from my face as I leaned over him in concern.

"Are you alright? Should I fetch Ada?" He waved away my concern.  
"No, no, I'll be fi-"

"What if I gave you a concussion? Nana will not be happy with me when she-"

"Aranyth, I'm fine." Estel mumbled as he stood and picked up his sword. "Just try not to lose your sword this time."

"Hey! I did not mean to!" I crossed my arms.

"Here, why don't I teach you a little trick?" he suggested. "A way you can avoid losing your sword," he performed the same move he had that caused my sword to fly out of my hand, "Here, come at me." he beckoned for me to try. I shrugged and charged at him. He went on the defensive then switched to offensive. I watched him carefully, trying to calculate his next moves and guess when he would do that little trick. "When I do this," he did it yet again. "Do this," he twisted his blade and I followed then we pulled our swords apart. I blinked.

"That is it? I was struggling all this time and that was all I had to do?!" I huffed, irritated. Estel grinned. "Who taught you that?"

"You would never guess."

"Faramir?"

"No."

"Ada?"

"No."

"Legolas?"

"Nope."

"...Eomer? Lothiriel? One of the trainers? The guard?" He continued to shake his head and I gave up. "Then who?"

"Aunt Eowyn."

"No way...I mean, I knew she was a warrior...Oh well. Come on, then! Let's practice!" I lunged but Estel was prepared and swung his blade up to meet mine. We parried, went on defense, and offense, often switching from one thing to another and trying out new tricks. I nearly lost my blade but thanks to Estel for having taught me that hint, I kept my sword. Soon, it became a battle of strength when our swords became stuck. It was difficult since Estel and I were evenly matched. It was quite eerie how we were so much alike. The only difference between us was that he was male and I was female.

"Estel! Aranyth!" We snapped our heads in the direction of our Ada's voice but before he could say anything, we sensed something behind us and whipped around, skillfully swinging our swords, only to have them blocked by two twin knives. Our eyes narrowed as we gazed at our opponent, who wore a blue cloak and hood over his head. We caught one another's eyes and sharply nodded, pulling our blades back then attacking yet again. Adrenaline flowed through our veins as we fought simultaneously, side by side, attempting to bring down the hooded person. Suddenly, the person twisted my blade and sent it flying out of my hand.

"Aranyth! What in Middle-Earth did I just teach you a few moments ago?!" Estel exclaimed in exasperation, still fighting.

"Well, e_xcuse_ me!" I growled back, watching my brother continue when an idea clicked in my mind. "Estel, duck!"

"Wha-?!" Estel ducked as I leaped over him, using his back as leverage and managed to jump over the knife that would have hit him had he not dodged. I dived down, whipping out one of my daggers and threw it at him. The figure easily blocked but was not expecting for me to take out another and attack him with it. Armed with just one dagger, I took him on, concentrating on his style of fighting. I recognized it at once. When he brought down one of his knives, I kicked and blocked with my heel. It was a good thing Estel and I practiced with armor over them. Ada had suggested it after one training session. I took this moment to grasp hold of his wrist and pivoted around, raising the man and flipping him over my shoulder with ease. He grunt when he hit the ground and I allowed Estel to deal with him from there. Estel was very skilled with the sword, I had to admit. His movements were graceful and fluid and he never once gave into his emotions, such as anger or frustration. (I was just a teensy bit better than he). During this moment of distraction, I quickly snatched my sword off the ground to join in.

Once I came to stand beside my brother, he whispered to me, "On the count of three."

"One,"

"Two,"

"Three!" We chimed and gave a battle cry, lunging at the figure and tackling him to the ground. We emerged victorious. I laughed and embraced the dazed person.

"We beat you, Uncle Legolas!" Legolas melodious laughter floated in the air as he lowered his hood and returned the embrace.

"Indeed! I must have underestimated your ability."

"You taught us to never underestimate our opponents." Estel pointed out, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"You speak the truth, tithen pen. That is one mistake I shall never make again." Legolas stood and turned to face Ada, who was smirking as he approached us.

"I do believe age is catching up with you, mellon-nin." he told the Elf. "Defeated by two children. My children. I wonder what Dan and Ro will have to say to that."

A warning look flashed in Uncle Legolas's eyes. "Aragorn, if you speak one word of this to those twin terrors, I will tell them of the time you fell into a well."

"Then I will tell them of the time you fell from a tree."

"Uncle! You fell from a tree?" Estel asked, looking at the Wood-Elf in surprise.

"Ada fell down a well?" I repeated, staring at our Father. The two stopped bickering and turned to face us.

"Not one word to any of the others." They both warned in unison. Estel and I glanced at one another then shrugged as Ada and Uncle continued with their childish argument. We were about to leave when the two of us noticed something in the shadows. The twang of a bowstring reached our ears and with horror, we realized what it was.

"**_ADA!_**"

* * *

**Second chapter. I've decided I should probably write a few chapters about their time in Minas Tirith so you guys can understand where they're coming from. I hope you guys enjoy the chapters as much as I enjoy writing them! If any of you have any ideas about what I could write about for the kids and their time in Minas Tirith, I'm open to suggestions. Having a bit of Writer's Block, sadly. I suppose that's what I get for writing so many stories at once :) **  
**Thanks so much for reading and reviews are awesome! **


	3. Healing and the 'Hunt'

_We were about to leave when the two of us noticed something in the shadows. The twang of a bowstring reached our ears and with horror, we realized what it was._

_**"ADA!"**_

* * *

Voices...

There are voices...

So many of them!

Why are they so loud?

Where am I?

Why is it so dark?

Many questions ran through my mind as I lay on a comfortable bed. How did I end up here? What happened?

"My Liege! Please, you must rest."

"I cannot." The voice I recognized as Ada's echoed in my mind. My brow furrowed. What was he doing here?

"Lord Faramir and your children are stable, my Lord. You have not eaten, nor slept, nor-"

"Please, Erathina...I cannot leave them."

_'Lord Faramir and your children are stable'?_ W_hat is that supposed to mean? Were we injured? When? Where? How? _My mind seemed to be jumbled up as I tried to recall the last thing I remembered but nothing came except for a head-splitting headache. A door opened and the soft sound of feet could be heard approaching the bedside.

"Faramir has awoken, Aragorn." Uncle Legolas spoke. A chair moved as Ada stood.

"Faramir!"

"Milord." Faramir acknowledged.

"Faramir, how many times must I tell you to call me Aragorn and not 'Milord'? Nevermind that, how do you feel?"

"I am fairing well, Mi-_Aragorn_. Only a minor injury."

"I am thankful the arrow did not pierce an artery..." Aragorn gave a small sigh of relief and I felt his eyes rest on me as I tried with all my might to open my eyes, but the light burned!

"As am I. How are the children?"

"Estel took a knife to the shoulder and a few other minor injuries attempting to defend his sister. Aranyth..."

"What has happened to her?" I felt Faramir gently touch the bandage wrapped around my head.

"She was forced against the wall and struck her head-"

I flinched as the memory attacked me at once. Faramir had taken the arrow for Ada and nearly killed himself in doing so. I thought that he was dead since he never moved after being struck. It frightened me greatly. Hearing his voice and knowing he was well on the way of recovery relieved me. The relief melted away as I recalled what happened to Estel and I.

* * *

_"Estel!" I had just watched the assassin stab my brother's shoulder with his dagger and twisted it, earning a small cry of pain, but Estel continued fighting, only using his left hand. The assassin managed to sneak through his defenses and drove the hilt of his sword against my brother's head, rendering him dazed and nearly unconscious. Taking advantage of this distraction, the assassin turned to me. Of course, I was only concerned for my brother's welfare that I did not notice the assassin until he came upon me. I brought my sword out of its sheath in time to defend myself from a lethal blow. _

_"Iell-nin!" My Father broke into a run to reach me. I skillfully parried every blow, watching his every move- which turned out to be a big mistake. My Father, luckily, arrived in time to protect me from another blow and dueled against the hooded and cloaked man. I ran over to my brother and watched in awe and amazement as my Father dealt with the assassin, his graceful and fluid movements precise, concentrating on his opponent himself and not the blade. I had never seen my Ada actually fight before since he was King and normally, when we did engage in battle with the few Orcs and Uruks left behind, I was too busy to notice. I gently shook my brother, hoping he would be alright. He blinked a few times before focusing on me and ordering me to help him up. I helped him, of course, and didn't notice the assassin whip around, grab a hold of me, and throw me against the wall forcefully. My head snapped back and cracked against the wall of the palace. _

_He was not through with me there, though. He quickly snatched me up before I could react and threw me down against the ground. My vision went wild and left at once. The last thing I heard was my brother's angered shout, Ada's battle cry, Legolas's bow, then what probably was the assassin's body slumping to the ground before darkness claimed me with open arms. _

* * *

"The child may have a severe concussion." Legolas hissed in sympathy, fully understanding how that felt. "Estel will not be able to train or use his arm for a few weeks. But he will have to take physical therapy." Aragorn sighed.

"Ada, has Aranyth awo-" The door flew open and the sound of robes dragging on the floor could be heard.

"Aragorn!" Nana.

"Arwen!" Aragorn instantly stood.

"Eowyn has informed me on what has happened. I came over as quickly as I could! How are they?" she rushed over to me. I felt a feathery light touch on my head once again and winced in pain. "The assassin?" she demanded to know.

"Legolas took care of him." Aragorn replied and I could tell my Nana was nodding, checking on Estel.

"Ada...Why awe Estewl and Awa in the Heewing House ag'n?" a tiny voice asked from next to me as a small figure crawled onto the bed I was resting on.

"Elrudan, be careful! Estel and Aranyth are resting..."

"Huwt?"

"Yes, Elrudan. They must rest to regain their strength."

"Unca Fawamiw!" Elrudan's voice squealed and I instantly turned onto my side, curling into myself and using my arms to block out the sounds from outside since it caused much pain to my head. A groan escaped my lips as I felt more pain shoot up my side but ignored it.

"Aranyth!" Estel shuffled out of his bed and came over instantly, grabbing my hand.

"Not so loud..." I growled then slowly sat up, feeling a wave of vertigo come over me as I did so. I opened my eyes then hissed as the light blinded me and closed them again, still feeling as though the darkness they gave me was spinning.

"How do you feel?" Ada asked, coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"My head feels about ready to explode." I admitted, cradling my head in my hands.

"Aranyth, how many fingers am I holding up?" I opened my eyes once again and squinted when I was seeing double and triple of everything. I tried focusing but that didn't work very well.

"Four?"

"I do believe you have a concussion."

"Figured." I muttered and looked at Estel. "You're up and about..."

"For now. Ada says I cannot train or use my arm as much for a few weeks." Estel sounded very pained to say this and I could understand why. He loved weapons and warfare. He made for a great tactician whilst I made for a better fighter.

"Uncle Faramir!' I reached out to the Steward but didn't know which one he was. Uncle Faramir smiled and clasped my hand to let me know where he was and I embraced him. "You are alright?'

"I am, little one." he replied as I pulled away and looked around.

"Where are we?"

"The Healing House."

"Right...I knew that." I nodded. "Wait...Estel? How are you?" I asked my brother, feeling a bit confused. I was pretty sure I had just asked him that question...

"You already asked me."

"No, I didn't." I objected.

"You did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Oh! And Uncle Faramir is here!"

"Aranyth..." Estel quirked an eyebrow and turned to face Ada.

"Concussions tend to cause shortage of memory." Ada explained and Estel nodded.

"How long will this...concussion last?" he asked.

"Depends." Ada shrugged.

"I hope it goes away soon...I have a feeling the next couple of weeks will be chaotic."

* * *

"Gud morwing, Awa!" Elrudan crawled onto my bed then nudged me with his hands.

"Go away, Elrudan." I mumbled, turning over and pulling the covers over my face. It had been a miserable last week! Ada ordered me to rest as often as I could, not to study or read (Which meant no coming up with new strategies for battles with Estel), train, or anything too strenuous.

"Awa! I'm awake!"

"And?"

"Time to up!"

"No."

"Awa!" Elrudan crawled onto my back, slumping over and tugging on my hair. "Wanna pway..."

"Elrudan...It's not even dawn!"

"Sky wakin!"

"Go bother, Estel." I didn't mean for that to sound rude but this concussion was driving me crazy! I hated feeling so useless, lazy, and dull. I turned and Elrudan made a small yelp of surprise, grunting as he slid onto the floor.

"Owwie...Awa!" he climbed back up and knocked on my head. "Pwease! You asweep fow days!"

"Elrudan...Go find Eldarion..."

"No..."

"What about Arathorn?"

"No!"

"Thalion?"

"No!" he dragged out the no and buried his face into the pillow next to mine. My patience was wearing thin but I bit back anything I had to say that would sound harsh.

"Why do you not want to play with any of them?" He gave me the you-should-already-know-the-answer-to-that look.

"Want time wif wou!"

"You want to spend time with me?" I asked, blinking in surprise. He nodded ecstatically.

"Pweeeease?" He gave me his famous look that always got me.

"Valar, what can I say to that face?" I grumbled as I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. Elrudan beamed and rushed out the door, his tiny feet making little noises as he ran.

"I wuv wou, Awa!" I rolled my eyes.

"Sure you do, little one...sure you do."

* * *

"Shhh, Awa!" Elrudan held a tiny finger to his lips, indicating that I needed to be silent as he peered around a corner, eyes scanning for anybody in sight. Nothing. Giggling, Elrudan ran across the hall with me close behind and we hid behind a curtain when a nearby door opened and Eowyn and Nana stepped out.

"I was sure I heard something..." Arwen murmured as they stepped out and began heading towards the Throne Room where Ada was sure to be. "Perhaps it was nothing. Will Faramir be willing to take Estel and Aranyth with Aragorn out hunting?"

"Faramir would love to! Your children are very lovable, Arwen. There are hardly- If there are any at all- who do not adore them! Especially the little ones. Estel and Aranyth are wonderful role models for other young adults in the world. I believe a little hunting would do them well also."

"Hunting?" I repeated softly but my mother's sharp hearing caught it and her eyes snapped in our direction, narrowing slightly but she brushed it off as nothing and returned her attention to Eowyn.

"Indeed. Estel has been struggling with his physical therapy and resting his arm...Aranyth does not enjoy resting either...The two are very active, always finding trouble no matter where they go. A little bit of fresh air should do them well."

"Yes. Now, let us find Faramir and Aragorn!" Eowyn nodded and the two left. Elrudan released the breath he had been holding and giggled again.

"Nana no heaw us!" he smiled widely at me and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"Come along now, Elrudan. Where are we headed?" I asked the little 'spy'.

"Cook!"

"The kitchen?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at my brother. He nodded. "And what exactly is it that we are 'hunting' for?"

"Cakes!"

"Ah, the honey cakes. I should have known," I shook my head as I remembered how fond Elrudan was of Tinuven's honey cakes. Though, I had to admit, they were pretty good.

"Come, Awa!" Elrudan grasped my hand and we zig-zagged down the hall, making sure no one was in sight. Of course, if anyone had seen us, they would pretend not to have noticed. Once we neared the kitchens, I noticed how there was hardly anyone there.

"Just how early did you wake me, Elrudan?!" I whispered only to find that my little brother was sneaking into the kitchen. I quickly caught up with him and peered around the door. No one was in the kitchen, which made this a pretty easy mission. Elrudan sniffed then frowned. "What is it?"

"No cake..." his expression became crestfallen, which tore my heart to see.

"It is alright, Elrudan...What if we got an even better treasure?" I suggested and he automatically brightened, clapping his hands together with glee.

"Wes! Bewwies!"

"Berries?..." Elrudan bounced on his tip toes then ran over to the pantry, flinging the door open and rushing in. My eyes widened as I remembered how steep the stairs were. "No, _Elrudan!_" I ran and caught him but tripped on the corner of the wall and we were both sent sailing through the air. I wrapped my arms tightly around Elrudan, pulling him close as we struck the stairs and went sprawling onto the floor below, knocking into a couple of shelves, which also fell. Elrudan shrieked with fear and I covered him with my body, making sure he would be alright. I cringed at the large commotion the shelves, glass, and cans made. I looked up and stared at the mess in dismay. "What have we done?!"

"Ada no happy!" Elrudan whimpered, clutching my shirt and hiding behind me. I could hear whoever was near enough to hear the noise running over.

"Aranyth! Elrudan!" Ada's voice drifted down the stairs as he hastily descended and came over to us. I looked up, feeling ashamed and could tell my cheeks were flushing with embarrassment. "What happened? Are you hurt?" he asked, checking the both of us. "What were you thinking? You are already broken enough, Aranyth! We do not need you breaking even more!"

"I tripped." I managed to say before hiding my eyes behind my bangs, suddenly finding the ground more interesting than it should be. For a moment, there was silence. I expected Ada to lecture us about sneaking into the pantry for an early morning snack, but the silence was shattered as Ada began chuckling before laughing even more.

"Ada...?" Elrudan peeked around me when he heard Father's laughter.

"Might I ask what you find so amusing?" I asked but Ada shook his head.

"You had better bathe before Nana discovers what you did. Now, go!" he ushered us up the stairs, aiding me along the way so I didn't trip again. Elrudan hugged his Ada's knees and Ada ruffled his hair.

"Ada!" Elrudan tugged on his hand, wanting Ada to bathe him and not his Nurse or one of us. Ada was about to turn him down when Faramir shook his head and shooed him away.

"Hannon le, Faramir." He thanked the Steward before allowing the babe to drag him away, laughing and squealing as Ada began to chase him, pretending to be a monster. I shook my head at their antics, recalling many fond memories of the times he did the same to Estel and I. My smile faded as I heard the sound once again.

The one that sounded as if someone had struck a wine glass and left it vibrating. I turned and noticed the mirror down the hallway. It suddenly darkened to reveal the creature from the tomb. Spinning on my heel, which was not a smart idea, I immediately left after Faramir.

"I have to find out what in Arda that thing is." I told myself, glancing over my shoulder to see the mirror had returned back to normal.

* * *

**Third chapter! Heh, I'm doing better than I thought I would. Thanks to all those who take the time to read my story and I'd like to give a shout out to Not-Gonna-Update for the reviews. Thanks a bunch for telling me what you think and the suggestions!  
Fourth chapter should be up -hopefully- soon. I hope you guys'll enjoy it! **


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